Category: Conference

During the CBAA conference held in Nashville, I had the pleasure of visiting Lisa Jennings at her studio and ask her a few questions regarding her work:

Can you briefly explain your art concept and media?

I refer to myself an artist, painter and sculptor. My art concept has evolved over 18 years as a professional artist and long before that I used papers, found objects, watercolors, acrylics and acrylic mediums. I have known since I was a child that I am artist. My work technique as it is right now evolved from working with watercolors, acrylics on and with pre-pigmented hand made papers that I created paintings with on canvas when I first started as professional artist.

How did you start working with washi and how does it compare to other paper? As I evolved further into my career I wanted more control of my surface texture, color palettes with my my painting, that is when I started purchasing Washi/Mulberry Papers from Hiromi about 8 years ago. I started with using mulberry thin and thick papers and pigmented them with liquid acrylics and acrylic dyes. This evolution set my standard and quality of work way above how I was using the other papers before in my paintings. I also use the pigmented mulberry papers on the wood sculptures that I create. The paper used on my sculptures really connects my paintings and sculpture as definable as a Lisa Jennings trademark and people identify my work because of my unique technique process in both my painting and sculpting processes. I get totally lost and am so passionate with the all the experimentation that I have done using Hiromi quality papers. I started ordering this past year some of the thicker Nepal Lhakpa Thick and thin Natural, Khadi and also DHM Triple Thick Paper. I love to work with these papers with the the liquid acrylic and acrylic dyes plus sewing and batik resist.

What are some characteristics that you like about the washi that you use? I love the versatility of the thick and thin mulberry papers. I love the strength of the thick/thin mulberry papers and how it holds up when I pigment it also using batik resist and sewn areas, then applying it with matte medium to the canvas or wood. The papers don’t easily tare or wear off with brushing on the matte medium. I trust the quality of the papers that I use as a professional artist that I am using something that is archival with my techniques for both my paintings and sculptures! I love the organic look and feel. My work is referenced to as primitive modern so the organic texture that lends itself with the Lhakpa thick and thin papers is so luscious to integrate into my works. I love being able to sew and batik resist on the thick and Lhakpa papers.

Do you have any advice for people starting to work with japanese papers? Firstly, I would suggest that people interested in papers research about papers and what their uses are for, how they are made, how archival and versatile they might be for different outcomes. Research is the key for me in anything that I do to integrate something more into my art practice. I would suggest that people who want to experiment more about using Japanese papers should use smaller sheets at first, perhaps use different types until they find the specific ones that work well with their techniques, mediums or purpose of what their desired outcome is from using the papers. Lastly play! Let your creative inner child come out! There are no mistakes when it comes to creating!

He will also be teaching his technique at a workshop after the conference at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill.
Wayne has developed a unique method of using color separated images that are screen printed on separate sheets of Tengucho.
The individual colors are then layered with wax to complete the image.

For more information see the link below and look for the workshop titled “Digital color separation and encaustic workshop”.

For the first conference of the year, Yona and I drove up to Richmond, CA for the CODEX International Book Fair 2013 held from February 10th – 13th.
We experienced beautiful weather for the duration of the conference, and the new venue, the beautiful waterfront Craneway Pavilion was filled with light and exuberance from the visitors and exhibitors.

Being able to meet and talk to our customers is always a wonderful feeling, and this particular conference was an opportunity to do just that, as well as discover new customers that love using our papers. Here are some of whom we were able to meet; my sincere apologies to those we missed…. Continue reading “CODEX International Book Fair Report”

One of the most rewarding aspects of attending a show like Codex is being able to see the works done by the exhibitors. At the store, we get asked all the time “what do people do with this and that paper???” and our answers truly do not justify the creativity and posssibilities that artists come up with.

An example is Codex exhibitor Lauren Henkin’s beautiful book “Silence is an Orchard”. See full descriptions and images at her blog here.

I was able to get a taste of fall/winter this past week on my trip to New York City and Maryland. It is such a different experience to be riding on subways and walking all across town visiting artists and studios. In Silver Springs, MD, things were much quieter and I was able to focus on the Pyramid Atlantic Book Arts Fair. I had a great time meeting new people and surprising others who hadn’t seen us since they were living in the west coast.

The exhibition and marketplace took place in the newly opened Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza.

The marketplace room, with our table. We were able to bring a piece of almost all our papers in those folders below!

Instructions below were to enter and peruse the books inside.

Some ideas from visitors at our tables: Use the V&F Papyrus such as the Daikon for writing unique letters to friends, Kamifusen Balloons as corporate gifts, and Paperwood cut down to look like a miniature book.